Dahlia hybrida cultivar Karma Corona.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Karma Coronaxe2x80x99.
The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lisse, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new cut flower Dahlia cultivars with straight strong flowering stems, decorative inflorescence form, attractive ray floret colors, and good inflorescence longevity.
The new Dahlia originated from a cross pollination made by the Inventor in 1997 of the Dahlia hybrida Wittemans Best, not patented, as the female or seed parent with an unnamed proprietary Dahlia hybrida seedling selection, not patented, as the male or pollen parent. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands, in the summer of 1998. The selection of this plant was based on its strong straight stems and attractive ray floret coloration.
Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by cuttings was first conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands in the Spring of 1999. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Karma Corona has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Karma Coronaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Karma Coronaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Dahlia cultivar:
1. Erect, straight and strong flowering stems.
2. Dark green foliage.
3. Early flowering response.
4. Double inflorescence form.
5. Golden orange-colored ray florets.
6. Excellent garden performance.
7. Excellent inflorescence longevity.
Plants of the new Dahlia are shorter, flower about two weeks earlier, and have longer lasting inflorescences than plants of the female parent, the cultivar Wittemans Best. In addition, plants of the new Dahlia have golden orange-colored ray florets whereas plants of the cultivar Wittemans Best have red-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Dahlia differ primarily from plants of the male parent, an unnamed proprietary seedling selection, in ray floret coloration.
Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Gold Crown, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia have shorter, but stronger flowering stems than plants of the cultivar Gold Crown. In addition, inflorescences of plants of the new Dahlia have longer lasting inflorescences with darker colored ray florets than plants of the cultivar Gold Crown.